April 10, 2018

How Persistent Are You Really?

I live in a world where I can make anything happen that I want. I live in a world where I have limitless opportunities and there are infinite possibilities.

I live in a place where it’s about asking HOW do I make this happen rather than having an instant reaction of “I can’t do that.”

Think about what your default reaction is when you are asked to do something that may be outside of your usual, day to day scenario?

Do you instantly tell yourself “I can’t do that.”?

If you are, it’s ok. You are part of most of the population.

If you tell yourself that you can’t do something, then your brain will come up with not just one, but many excuses as to why you can’t do that.

It creates a justification cycle so that you then 100% believe that it is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to do the thing that you probably really want.

Let me tell you a recent story of mine, to showcase to you how asking yourself a different BETTER question could actually get you to live in a world like mine where you can make anything happen!

Two words.

Ed Sheeran.

I waited online for 3 ticket presales trying to get tickets to ANY of his concerts in ANY city and I missed out after a total of nearly 15 hours of waiting. I was annoyed, but I also knew that if I wanted to go there would probably be last minute tickets at double the price available.

That was roughly 9 months ago.

Two weeks ago on a Monday, I had just finished day 2 of 4 days of event presenting on stage. I’d been working for approximately 12 hours that particular day. I had another huge day the next day, but I happen to get on Facebook and realise that Ed Sheeran is doing his Brisbane concerts that week.

Tuesday night and Wednesday night were his last concerts on the Australian Tour.

I’m at the Gold Coast, presenting for the next 2 days and meant to pick my 3 year old up from her Dad in Brisbane as soon as I’m finished on Tuesday and drive back home to the Sunshine Coast Tuesday night, then Kindy for my daughter on Thursday and me having a rest that I desperately need.

Most people would have this situation and just tell themselves that it’s absolutely impossible to get to either of those concerts, right?

Not me.

I’m instantly asking myself HOW CAN I GET THERE?

I ask my daughters Dad if he can have her for the extra night on Wednesday night. He couldn’t.

Damn. Most people would be like “I have no other options, I CAN’T GO.”

Not me.

I start thinking could I drive from Gold Coast to Brisbane on Tuesday night, see the concert, drive back to Gold Coast and present on Wednesday.

That wasn’t the most ideal situation because I would be tired, so I parked that idea and asked myself another question.

HOW can I make this happen for Wednesday night?

I messaged my sister who lives in Brisbane and asked her if she could babysit for a few hours, could we sleep on her couch and we would leave REALLY early on Thursday morning to drive home so my daughter could still get to Kindy.

Luckily, she had no plans and said it was fine.

I went on ebay, got my ticket, paid DOUBLE the ticket price and couldn’t have cared less because, I WAS GOING TO ED SHEERAN!

It took me an hour to work this out, but I just kept asking myself HOW can I make it happen.

It was definitely an exhausting few days between the event I presented, the child shuffling and the early morning driving - but I wanted to go to the concert so all of those things didn’t really matter.

If you are prepared to do whatever it takes to make something happen that you want to have, do or be, then you need to ask yourself a better question to get a better answer.

I promise you that there are only ever solutions if you allow your mind to go there.

None of the excuses of the time, the cost, the juggling kids, the travel or anything else that you can find as an excuse to NOT do something, actually matters.